Chair-seat



Patented Jan. 7, 1896.

l l l l I I l I 1 (-No Model.)

' H. W. JOHNSON.

CHAIR SEAT.

NQ,;552,840. l

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l l l l l *winaoaea Y T THU I1 ANDREW E GHM PHOTO UTHU WASHINGTON DC UNrrEn STATES PATENT FFICE@ oHAlRsEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming` part of Letters Patent No. 552,840, dated January 7, 1896.

Application filed February 12, 1895. Serial No. 533,104. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t 77mg/ concern.'

lie it known that I, HENRY XV. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Michigan City, in the county of Laporte and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin OhairSea-ts, of' which the following is a specification.

Ny invention more especially relates to chair-seats comprising woven-cane fabric in their construction; but such fabric has usually been woven plain. Sometimes it is twilled, b ut has never been woven, so far as my knowledge extends, with ornamental urcs.

The principal object of my invention is to make such seats of figured fabric; but this involves special difficulties to be overcome. The figuring of the fabric involves the passage of some threads over several others, and the cane being stiff and non-elastic these overlapping or floating portions tend to protrude unduly, thus injuriously affecting both the appearance and the durability of the fabric. In order to obviate these objections and to secure an attractive, durable, and efficient seat, I weave the cane into the desired figure or pattern and then secure the overlapping, protruding, or floating portions to the other threads of the fabric by cement, glue, or paste, so as to obtain a uniform surface. I further strengthen the fabric by cementing, gumming, or pasting a fabric-such, for instance, as stout canvasto the under side of the cane fabric and also to the floating portions of the cane. This backing or foundation aids materially not only in giving body to the seat, but also in holding the strands or threads of the cane in place.

The fabric which I have described as especially adapted for chair-seats is also well adapted for use as a floor covering in the place of ordinary matting.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a portion of a close-woven cane fabric with a design woven therein according to my invention, showing also a canvas backing to which the cane fabric is secured. Fig. 2 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, showing how the threads of the fabric are interwoven. Fig. 3 shows a cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fin. 2.

The cane fabric A maybe woven in any suitable way, either by hand or by machinery, and is twilled as shown to form the desired figures. In this instance a series of diamondshaped figures, one within the other, is formed. There the fabric is twilled there are floating portions l), which Atend to stand up from the surface or upper plane of the fabric and form an objectionable rough surface; but I employ paste, glue, or cement to secure these floating portions to the threads of the fabric below theln, and by applying suitable pressure to the fabric when thus cemented a smooth and even surface may be obtained.

As an additional security I attach to the under side of the cane fabric a sheet C, of suitable material, such as duck or canvas. This may be covered on the side adjacent to the fabric A with cement, glue, or paste, and pressure is applied to canse the .cement to connect the sheet O not only with the threads of the body of the fabric, but also and espeeially with the oatin g portions of' the threads.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 3 that the cement :e is arranged between the overlapping portions of the warp and weft threads', and also is arranged between the sheet C and the adjoining threads of the fabric A.

Any suitable cement, paste, or glue may be employed, but preferably such as is not affected by moderate heat or by dampness.

.In the manufacture of the fabric embodying my invention, the figured cane cloth is first woven by machinery and the canvas backing is covered with a thiol; layer of paste or cement. The cane cloth is laid on the cemented side of the canvas, and then heavy pressure is supplied to cause the cement to pass through the interstices of the cane fabric, permeating the spaces between the Warp and weft threads and also filling the spaces between the floating portions of' the warps and the canvas. The cement is allowed to partially harden and then the front face of the fabric is sponged or washed off to remove the exposed cement. Additional pressure may then be employed to flatten ou t the fabric and more securely unite the cane to the canvas after the cement is dry. The fabric is then ready for use.

I claim as my invention- A fabric adapted for chair seats, &c., com- IOO prising a Woven figured fabric of Cane o1 rat- In testimony whereof I have hereunto subtan, the overlapping or floating portions of scribed my name. the Warps being cemented to lche underlying Wefts, and a backing of Canvas, oi similar HENRY WV. JOHNSON. material, cemented to the adjacent portions of the Waips and Wefts, and also to .the oat- XVitnesSes:

ing portions of the Warps, substantially as HENRY B. MORRIS,

described. EDMND MORRIS. 

